All Saints Messenger 4-12-18

Acts 5:38-39 So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them-in that case you may even be found fighting against God!

Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, is saying something important. In his address to the religious elites, he talks about this strange cohort of Jesus-followers who are constantly upsetting the status quo in Jerusalem.

As a child, my family and I visited New York City. Gazing up at the tall buildings, I could have sworn they were moving ever so slightly. I grew very concerned that the buildings were going to fall at any moment. A passerby saw my perplexed face and told me that these tall buildings are meant to flex in the intense winds they encounter. "If they didn't bend," he said, "they would break."

The resilience at the heart of the church has nothing to do with us and everything to do with the spirit of the living God who inhabits and animates it. Jesus has promised that not even the gates of hell itself will prevail against it.

MOVING FORWARD: Think of the most unlikely victory in your life. Do you remember how you felt in that moment? How does revisiting it remind you of God's goodness?

Good Book Club Reading: Acts 5:27-42

PRAY for the Diocese of Buye (Burundi)

Workshop Exploring the Lord's Prayer :

Deacon Cris South & Rev. Roxanne Whitelight

Sunday, April 22, 2018 - 1 pm - 4 pm

The Lord's Prayer, the only prayer given to us by Jesus, is one of the most beautiful and perfect prayers we have in the Christian church. This workshop is in 2 parts...the first part explores the prayer in different English translations, symbolism and meaning in each part, and music/meditation (Cris). The second part takes the prayer back to its roots, exploring the significant differences in the text in Aramaic (Roxanne), and we will learn to pray it in the original language, bringing us into an expanded understanding of Jesus' intentions in these words.

Rev. Roxanne Whitelight will be visiting from Maui, Hawaii. She is ordained in the Reformed Catholic Church and often attends Trinity Episcopal Church By-the-Sea

in Kihei, Hawaii.

This workshop was originally presented in 3 parts to the Episcopal churches

on Maui in 2013

Please sign up for this workshop in the Family Life Center lobby.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

* Statements: First quarter statements are available for pick up after both services on Sunday.

* Lunch this Sunday: The menu for lunch will be lasagna, salad, bread and dessert. There will be a vegan lasagna also. Please consider a $5.00 contribution which offsets the price of the meal with proceeds going to Outreach.

* Yard Sale: May 5th is coming up so please think of us when you do your spring cleaning. Costume jewelry, clothes, books are a few items that are good sellers. The proceeds from the Yard Sale will go to the church. Some of our needs are new carpet in the Family Life Center and professionally pressure washing the church and Family Life Center. Please let Jerry Wertz ( [email protected]) know if you can help sort and price ahead of time and if you can help the day of the sale.

* Cooking for the Army: Sunday, May 6th parishioners will gather at 9AM to cook approximately 700 meals for The Salvation Army & Cornerstone Ministry. We are always in need of more hands to assist in this life-giving project since "more hands make light work." If you are interested in this ministry, please contact the church office and we will put your name on the monthly e-mail reminder.

* Youth Event: May 20 @ 2:00pm Putt Putt Golf - details to follow. This is our final activity until the Fall.

* Parish Nurse Ministry will be taking blood pressures after the 8:00 and 10:30 services on the second Sunday of the month. Nurses interested in the parish nurse ministry please contact Cheryl Saylor, MSN.

* Pacesetters: The Pacesetters will meet on Tuesday April 17th at 10:00 in the Family Life Center to make final plans for the Yard Sale. We will go to lunch after the meeting. If you are not a Pacesetter and can help at the Yard Sale, we welcome you at the meeting.

* Pacesetters: The Pacesetters will travel to St. James Episcopal church in Lenoir on Thursday, May 3 to hear the Caldwell Community College Chorus final performance and tour the church's collection of Christian art by the renowned artist Johannes Oertel. The collection consists of 18 pieces by the Bavarian art master. Located at the altar is one of the pieces painted in 1872 using oil and gold gilt on canvass depicting Jesus administering bread and wine. The painting is situated within a carved gothic frame called a "reredos" which consists of 400 pieces of wood. The church was built in 1844 and is filled with a history of its own. St. James is located in downtown Lenoir at 806 College Ave. SW. Phone number is 828-754-3712. The tour will begin at 11 and the concert at 12:15. Those who want to carpool can meet at All Saints at 9:30 AM. We can plan to have lunch at one of the restored restaurants downtown within walking distance of the church at 1:00.

* Book Exchange: The book exchange is set-up in the Family Life Center on the table to your left when entering the big room. Read and return and perhaps contribute some you have as well. We are in need of a tall book shelf to permanently contain the books.

* Spring Worship & Potluck: On Sunday April 29th we will gather at 10:30 at the Waterfront Pavilions at Rankin Lake for our Spring worship and potluck. No chicken will be provided so we ask people to bring main dishes, side dishes, salads, desserts and drinks. There will be an 8 AM service at the church. Please join in the fun as we worship our Lord in the beauty of creation.

* Pastoral Caregivers: Committee meetings will now be once a month on the second Tuesday of the month in Conference Room starting in May. The April meeting will be on the 17th. The Pastoral Care Committee is reorganizing. We are looking for parish volunteers to walk, communicate and visit with our parishioners who are homebound, struggling, lonely or sick. This ministry is key to ensuring those who are in need receive care and knowing that their church family loves them. Our desire is to have enough people on our team that no one has more than two people. No special skills are required; just a desire to love their neighbor. If you are interested please contact Deacon Martha, Deacon Cris or Father Gary.

* Wednesday Book Club at 10:00: The next book we will be reading is Original Blessings: Putting Sin in Its Rightful Place by Danielle Shroyer. If you were thinking of joining the group, this would be a good time as we start a new book. The book costs $15.41 new with used books costing nearly the same. If you would like me to order a book, please contact me at [email protected].

* Family Promise: We are hosting our guests this week. Family Promise is a program that offers assistance to families who are in need of food and shelter. During this week we will be greeting the families when they arrive in the evening on each day, providing activities for the children, preparing and serving meals to the families here at the church, and staying overnight during their stay to provide any assistance they might need. Currently, there are 3 families in the program. Justin and Miranda and their kids, Trayvon (9), Tristian (6), and Jackson (6mos) and new baby Harmony (1 week), Crystal and her 2 kids Morgan (18) and Caleb (15), and Amy and her daughter Sharon (16). If you would like to volunteer for one of the activities or are just interested in finding out more about the program please contact Marc Dudley at 704-718-4044 or at [email protected]

* Concert of Healing & Reconciliation: On Saturday, April 14, 2018 @ 7:30 PM The Gay Men's Chorus of Charlotte will present a concert at All Saints Episcopal Church. The concert will feature Joel Thompson's Seven Last Words of the Unarmed which is a powerful creative piece addressing the deaths of unarmed men and police officers shot in the line of duty. For tickets, log on to www.gmccharlotte.org. Parishioners can use the code S18MAD which will set the ticket price to $0.

* Community Foundation Run AKA Run for the Money is being held on April 14th. Those who wish to sponsor an agency for this event such as CAM, Gaston Library, AIDS foundation of Gaston County, Family Promise etc. should contact the agency involved to sign up or look at the website for the Community Foundation Run of Gaston County.

* Donation: Linda Klocker has donated a set of DVD's/books from "The Great Courses". The Holy Land Revealed and Great Figures of the New Testament. Will put them in the conference room if anyone wants to borrow them.

* Garden/Salad Fund: The garden fund is in good shape right now and many thanks to those who have donated. Right now we have around $600 which should last us for a

while.

* Adult Christian Formation: A study on The Lives of Great Christians. Our guide is Professor William Cook. Some of those we will journey with are St. Antony, the First Monk; Francis of Assisi; Augustine; and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Please join us on Sunday mornings at 9:30 in The Life Center.

* Bishop's Visitation: Our bishop, The Rt. Rev. José McLoughlin, will make his parochial visit on Sunday, September 16, 2018 (Please note the date change. The Bishop had to change his visitation date due to a calendar conflict). A bishop's visit is time for celebration as well as Baptism, Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation. For new members this is a time for being received or confirmed into your new faith community. Fr. Gary will offer a course, Episcopal 101, to assist anyone interested in better understanding our tradition.

* Building Use Policy: Our buildings are being used more and more and scheduling conflicts have occurred. Effective immediately, all rooms/buildings will be reserved and scheduled by the Parish Administrator through the submission of a form which are available at the office. Additionally, if you are in need of advance set-up for the room or event you are scheduling (night before, earlier than the event, etc.) please take that into consideration when reserving. We appreciate your understanding realizing that this will improve our ability to serve our parishioners and ministries.

* Save the date: All Saints Outreach will host a "Summer Blast Picnic" fundraiser on Saturday, June 2nd from 5-8. Please put it on your calendar and plan to attend. More details will follow!

* Save the date: Parade of Tables on Saturday, September 22nd.

* 2018 Sign Up Sheets: For Coffee Hour, Altar Guild and Altar Flowers are on the bulletin board in the FLC. Coffee Hour hosting can be as simple as drinks and cookies. Coffee hour is provided to have fellowship with our parish family. Please sign up or call the church office to add your name to the list (704-864-7201).

* Cookbooks: $5.00 If you don't need a cookbook, but would like to help our Outreach committee reach their budget goal, consider buying a cookbook to donate to our newcomers committee. Any donated cookbooks will be included in the welcome bag we hand out to newcomers.

* Zumba: Now being offered 3 days a week in the Family Life Center!

- Tuesday & Thursday at 7:15PM: Please join Dana Wolfe for a fun workout made for everyone. The class that started the dance-fitness revolution and changed the way we look at a "workout" forever. It's fun, effective and best of all? Made for everyone! ($5/class or $20/month)

- Friday at 9:15AM: Taught by certified instructor Barbara Mooradian who has been teaching for 6 years. Especially suited to older adults or those with mobility issues or restrictions, Zumba Gold has all of the liveliness and fun of Zumba while being low impact and easier on the body. It can even be done while sitting! ($5/class)

* First Sunday of the month Coffee Hour: We need someone to set up and clean up only

for Coffee Hour on Parish Breakfast Sunday. You do not have to provide any food, just set out the food left from breakfast. Please sign up for this on the Coffee Hour sign-up sheet.

* Youth Christian Formation: Christian Formation for our young people begins at 9:30 sharp. Our new program is an Episcopal curriculum. We have 11 dedicated teachers and three dedicated musicians who will be guiding our young people. Please bring your children and let them experience God and Jesus with others.

* Choir Rehearsal: Sunday mornings at 9:25 am.

* Food Pantry: Please help us restock the shelves! Through your generosity, we have been able to help many families and individuals.

* Preaching ROTA (rotation) at All Saints: We are blessed at All Saints to hear three different voices in preaching. Each one of our clergy; Gary, Cris and Martha, have experienced the world and see the world differently and through different lenses. Because our community is made up of different people from different experiences we need to hear different voices. At All Saints, Deacon Cris preaches on the 3rd Sunday of each month, Deacon Martha preaches on the 1st Sunday of alternate months, and Fr. Gary preaches the other Sundays. We hope you find the different voices fulfilling in your spiritual journey.

* Salvation Army Service Schedule: Monday, April 16th - Team #2. (George Sowersby)

* Church Financials: The Vestry wants to make sure that all parishioners are aware that the monthly financial reports are posted on the bulletin boards in The Family Life Center. If you have any concerns or questions please contact Phill Wertz or Fr. Gary. Thank You!

* Why Do You Love All Saints? Who here loves All Saints? Do you want to tell the world why you love being a part of the All Saints family? Please help us spread the word about our congregation by telling your All Saints Story. All Saints Stories will be published on our website: AllSaintsGastonia.org as well as our facebook and twitter pages. To submit your story, go to AllSaintsGastonia.org and click "All Saints Stories" under the Parish Life tab. If you can, please submit a photo with your story.

* Prayer List: Our prayer list grows rapidly. We ask all parishioners to keep the office informed so that our prayer list remains current and manageable.

* Partnership: All Saints has entered into a relationship with the YMCA's Resource Connection Gateway. This relationship enables us to help those in need more rapidly and efficiently while also addressing long-term needs versus only addressing immediate concerns. If you would like more information please see Fr. Gary.

* Salvation Army Serving: If anyone is interested in serving at the Salvation Army on Mon. nights from 5:00 to 6:00, please contact Candy Albergine at 704-868-8691 or email [email protected]. We have a couple of spots open and you will find this ministry is a true blessing to all involved. The schedule is on bulletin board in Family Life Center.

* All Saints Sermons online: Thanks to John Woodward, our sermons are available in audio and video on our website at: www.allsaintsgastonia.org/sermons

* Free Mulch: There are several piles of mulch in the upper parking lot that you are welcome to take. We need to free up some parking spaces in that upper lot. Please do not take the mulch by the shed as that is intended for the garden.

* Planned Giving: Programs for Outreach Ministries are an important part of our parish. You can ensure the continuation of these programs by setting up an endowment or including a bequest in your will. The Episcopal Foundation of Western Carolina has set up "The Living Stones Society" to provide Education and training to all clergy and parishioners about setting up a program. For more information see Fr. Gary or call the foundation at 828-225-6656.

* Ministry Opportunities: There are a variety of Ministries available at All Saints including feeding at The Salvation Army, tending the Garden, Family Promise where we take care of those without a home for a week at a time, Altar Guild, Readers, Lectors, Acolytes, Chalicers, and many more. Everyone at All Saints is encouraged to serve in some way. Please let us know what you are interested in and we will put you in touch with the ministry coordinator. You can call the office (704-864-7201), email ([email protected]) or speak to Fr. Gary.

Upcoming Schedule

April 14th: Concert

April 15th: Parish Lunch

April 17th: Pacesetters

April 17th: Pastoral Care

April 21st: Vestry Work Day

April 27th: Last Friday Get Together

April 29th: Worship & Picnic at Rankin Lake

May 3rd: Pacesetters

May 5th: Yard Sale

May 6th: Cooking for the Army

May 20th: Youth Event

June 2nd: Summer Blast Picnic

September 16th: Bishop Jose Visit

September 22nd: Parade of Tables

This Sunday's Scripture Readings

The Collect

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.Amen.

The First Lesson: Acts 3:12-19

Peter addressed the people, "You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you.

"And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out."

Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hard-pressed;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 "You mortals, how long will you dishonor my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols
and run after false gods?"

3 Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful; *
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

4 Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.

5 Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the Lord.

6 Many are saying, "Oh, that we might see better times!" *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.

7 You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.

8 I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

The Epistle: 1 John 3:1-7

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.

The Gospel: Luke 24:36b-48

Jesus himself stood among the disciples and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence.

Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.

Saint Day / Feast of the Week

Mary (Molly) Brant (Konwatsijayenni)

Witness to the Faith among the Mohawks, 1796

Mary, or Molly Brant, known among the Mohawks as
Konwatsijayenni, was an important presence among the Iroquois
Confederacy during the time of the American Revolution. Baptized
and raised as an Anglican due to the British presence in her tribal area,
she spoke and wrote in English, and she sought to keep the Mohawks,
as well as the other tribes of the Iroquois Nation, loyal to the British
government during the Revolution.

Born to Peter Tehonwaghkwangeraghkwa and his wife Margaret,
she moved west to Ohio with her family and lived there until her
father's death. She and her brother Joseph took the name of their
stepfather, Brant Kanagaradunkwa, who married their mother in
1753. Her stepfather was a friend of Sir William Johnson, the British
Superintendent for North Indian Affairs. Mary met Sir William
in 1759, and though they could not legally marry, she became his
common law wife, and together they had nine children. She exerted
influence among both the British and the Mohawks, and her voice was
often sought among tribal councils and in treaty efforts.

Following her husband's death, the Oneidas and the Americans, in
retaliation for her loyalty to the British and to the Anglican Church,
destroyed her home. She and her children fled and were protected by
the principal chief of the Five Nations, whose leaders respected her
word and counsel.

In 1783, she moved to Kingston, Ontario, where the British
Government rewarded her for her loyalty. A lifelong Anglican, she
helped found St. George's Anglican Church in Kingston. At her death
her tribesmen as well as the British with whom she had worked
mourned her.

April 12th - David Klocker

April 12th - Van Balco

April 15th - Jim Howard

April 15th - Young McWhirter

April 16th - Zoe Tilly

April 23rd - Calvin Boyd

April 24th - Deacon Cris South

April 25th - George Saylor

April 25th - Steve Stanford

April 26th - Allison Wells

April 29th - Robert DeCristofor

May 2nd - Lynn Witry

May 5th - Emily Frazier

May 8th - Ally Miller

May 10th - Emma Butterworth

May 11th - Tim Whittaker

May 12th - Mike Mong

May 16th - Al Ellison

May 16th - Randy Mullins

May 18th - LouAnne Hicks

May 21st - Joshua Jager

May 26th - Courtney Brunder

May 26th - Charlie Jenkins

May 29th - Abby Woodward

May 30th - Paul Balco

Please let the office know if we have missed your birthday!

MINISTRY SCHEDULE

2018	April 15	April 22
CHALICE/LECTOR 8:00 AM	Lee Wells	Kelly Morris
CHALICE 10:30 AM	Jim & Flo McCarthy	Cheryl Richard Adam Nygren
LECTOR	William Graham	Claudette Forbes
ACOLYTES	Cheryl Richard Emory Borner Lindsey Wells	Sydney Wertz Noelle Martin Sophie Martin
GREETER/USHER 8:00 AM	Kelly Morris	Laurie Stewart
GREETERS/USHERS 10:30 AM	Candy Albergine Marc Dudley	Priscilla & William Graham
ALTAR GUILD	Marc Dudley	Glenda Carpenter
BREAD	April Judy Cheek	May Gay Lindsey
ALTAR FLOWERS
COFFEE HOUR	Parish Lunch	Erin Balco
MORNINGSIDE 10:30 AM	George Sowersby	Allison & Lee Wells
SOUND TECH	William Graham	John Woodward
EUCHARISTIC VISITORS	Jim & Flo McCarthy	Jerry Wertz David Klocker
YOUTH FORMATION	Sharon Tatlock Christine Borner	Chris Butterworth Judy Mullins
VPOD 8:00 10:30	Lee Wells William Graham	Jerry Wertz

Blessings & Peace,

Fr. Gary+

phone: 704-864-7201

e-mail: [email protected]

web site:
www.allsaintsgastonia.org

Fr. Gary's blog:
http://thevenite.blogspot.com

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